Suitability of mine tailings for shotcrete as a ground support

Mine tailings are the by-product of the extraction process of valuable minerals in the mining industry. They have rarely been treated as a useful material with distinct and complex physical and chemical characteristics. This tradition is changing because of the growing public awareness of the environmental impacts. This study presents the results of an ongoing research to develop a technology for utilizing mine tailings for ground support. The main objective of this research/investigation is to evaluate the suitability of mine tailings as shotcrete material and evaluate its strength using High-Water Fast-Setting cement (HiFa) as binders. By doing so it is hoped to promote the use of this technology of utilizing mine tailings for ground support. Laboratory experiments were conducted to evaluate the suitability of mine tailings for shotcreting. Due to high water content in tailings, a special cementing material (HiFa Bond) is used as binder. The concrete mortar made of tailings-binder mixture was tested in various conditions. Sand and fibers were also added to evaluate their ability of increasing the compressive and flexural strength. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)...